Operation Christmas Child needs volunteers all year long

Search no more — call Loretta Tharp of Mont Alto, area coordinator in south-central Pennsylvania for Operation Christmas Child.

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By Nancy Mace/The Record Herald

Waynesboro Record Herald - Waynesboro, PA

By Nancy Mace/The Record Herald

Posted Mar. 18, 2013 at 1:30 PM

By Nancy Mace/The Record Herald
Posted Mar. 18, 2013 at 1:30 PM

Looking for a project that would impact the lives of others?

Search no more — call Loretta Tharp of Mont Alto, area coordinator in south-central Pennsylvania for Operation Christmas Child.

“I know there are lots of groups and individuals that would love to have something like this to do and we have ideas,” noted Tharp, who is gearing up for annual packing of OCC shoe boxes that will take place later this year in Quincy. The group has set a goal of 36,500.

OCC is a project of the international Christian relief and evangelism organization Samaritan’s Purse. The project involves collecting and delivering shoe boxes filled with toys, stuffed animals, school supplies, candy and hygiene items to suffering children worldwide.

Discipleship materials are given to children when they receive their boxes and a follow-up program with 12 lessons is offered.

Something for everyone

“Operation Christmas Child has a great need for help. We have a few things that might spark your interest or maybe you have some other ideas. You could cut out wooden cars, knit or crochet scarves or hats, make tic tac toes out of foam board, knit washcloths, collect new or slightly used 12-inch or smaller stuffed animals, collect other toys (McDonald’s toys, balls, etc.), collect school supplies or sew tote bags,” according to Tharp, who first became involved in the effort in 1995.

“There are all kinds of things volunteers can do. We try to match the person with an available task. We have people who just collect shoe boxes and wrap them,” Tharp said.

Bonnie McDonald, a resident at Falling Spring Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Chambersburg, has been offering her services on this project for more a year, according to Tharp.

McDonald needed to be needed, Tharp said.

“She does some of the prep work by assembling school supplies that have been donated to the project. Bonnie works almost every day packaging the supplies. She has helpers too that she has trained,” Tharp said. “When she found this project, she just loved it ...

grabbed hold of it. We can hardly keep her in supplies. Bonnie does this year round and she loves it.

“Once they (volunteers) start working on something, they feel that have a purpose. They become overjoyed with the prospect of making a difference in little children’s lives. It’s wonderful.”

Another volunteer dyes the wheels and attaches the axles and wheels on the wooden cars after they’re painted, Tharp said.

Fundraisers

Donations also are needed for the annual auction set for 4 p.m. Saturday, April 20, in Chambersburg Mennonite Church at 1800 Philadelphia Ave.

Page 2 of 2 - “Maybe you have a nice item that was a gift that you never used or an antique piece you would like to donate, or a service, a gift basket ... anything that would work for an auction,” Tharp said.

Proceeds from the auction as well as the annual golf tournament May 29 at Penn National are used to buy supplies and pay for shipping costs for Operation Christmas Child.

For more information, to volunteer or donate an item for a shoe box, the auction or the golf tournament, call Tharp at 749-3897.

“I expect to get a lot of phone calls. People will respond. I know people in this area are so giving.”